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Monday, 6 August 2012

Un-branded – the London 2012 Olympic Park experience

The main London 2012 Stratford site, a vast reclaimed tract of east London, greets the visitor
with bright, energetic colours that includes vibrant recycled rubberised
flooring, nearly fluorescent signage and the gaudy juxtaposition clashing
colours, all strikingly fresh.The river
bank planting accentuates bright and strong use of colour, with prairie
planting of yellows and blues, of bright peach red hot pokers set against striking
purple blue agapanthus globes.The
bright red of the roller coaster like feature building, the imposing relief Olympic
circles on the aquatics centre, its roofline inspired by the underbelly of a
whale.

Acres of bill board space was
either foregone or instead covered with one of the vibrant rainbow range of
colours (with bright pink a signature colour, used prominently in signage) and
the 2012 Headline font, described as distinct and quickly recognisable.
(Observer, 2012) This feeling of unclutteredness contributed to a strong sense
of place, neither city nor country, supported by happy, smiling and fun giving
uniformed volunteers.

Even the BBC broadcasting centre
in the park, which provided in-the-thick-of-it backdrops for smiling medallist
interviews and sliver fox anchor feel-good interviews, was surprisingly
anonymous.Constructed, Lego like, using
blue shipping containers with glazed voids and a roof terrace, highlighting
strong re-cycling credentials.Missing
also were the blitz branded interview back boards, made popular by football
post match interviews, perhaps forcing the unusual re-introduction of the hand
held lolly pop microphone prominently sporting the BBC brand alongside the Olympic
rings, all in yellow and the use of the plain yet colourful Olympic venue as
the backdrop.

It was all a bit like wandering
around Moscow, just after the communist experiment had been shown to fail,
subtle signage, here and there, just enough to help guide you around at the
points of ambiguity, but else, nothing.A
blank canvass, nearly.

Generic labels adorned the
various merchandising stands ‘speciality coffee’ where surely Costa, Nero or
the ubiquitous green mermaid would be expected ?There were Innocent branded wheeled carts
(Coca Cola owned), but the roving young people wearing back packs emblazoned
with the word ‘BEER’ took to holding up a specimen bottle, often Heineken,
seemingly required to overcome the lack of information that is usually and
usefully conveyed by a logo, symbol or brand name.A feeling not unlike BBC Childrens TV, sticky
tape not Selotape or Scotch, glue stick not Pritstick, double sided sticky tape
not Blutack.Brand identities expunged
either taped or painted over.

Clear and evident: a conscious rejection of one of
the generally useful roles brands play.For
me, it created a rather unnatural world, a TV studio or film set that
deliberately removes cultural advertising references to transform the audience to a different place.

The impact of the heavily
controlled and minutely planned execution of this leading global event, which
saw 10bn viewers for its opening ceremony and a third of the UK population
tuned in to see Usain Bolt win the 100m dash, may well go on to help define an
Olympic experience supported, but not dominated, by advertising sponsorship.

Justin O'Brien, MBA Director and Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London.